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Prednisone Prescribed for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a condition when your thyroid suffers from the immune system. Usually, people with Hashimoto thyroiditis experience severe fatigue, constipation, have hoarse voice, may gain weight without any reasons and get other unpleasant symptoms. That is because the thyroid gland is a part of the endocrine system, and it’s responsible for many processes in your body, but inflammation, which appears due to Hashimoto's disease, affects its work and may lead to hypothyroidism.

Ways to Cure

There are several ways of treating Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, including surgery, taking synthetic hormones, or no treatment at all may be given if there are no crucial changes in thyroid gland. However, the pharmaceutical therapy is preferable when the case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is more serious. Thyroids, corticosteroids, ordinary anti-inflammatory medicines may be used within this kind of treatment. And if we speak about corticosteroids, it’s Prednisone which is most frequently prescribed.

Pros and Cons of Prednisone

Prednisone has got a lot of advantages, for example, an amazing anti-inflammatory effect and quick prevention of creation of autoimmune antibodies to the thyroid gland. Intoxication and pain are also reduced thanks to this corticosteroid medicine. However, because of severe side effects, Prednisone is a pre-last remedy – it is used before surgery. Doctors prescribe it when all the other medicines can’t give a desirable result, and the pain is severe.

Usually, Prednisone is prescribed when substitution therapy with synthetic hormones provided in pills appears to be inefficient and Derbyshire neck doesn’t become better. When taking it, patients have rapid Derbyshire neck improvement, autoimmune antibodies disappear which is proved by negative autoimmune tests. However, such unpleasant side effects as anxiety, blurred vision, dizziness, depression, pounding, headache and others may appear.

Moreover, endocrinologists must first check whether a patient has any contraindications. People who have personal sensitivity and allergy to any component of the medicine can’t take Prednisone. Also, this med is prohibited during vaccination or when a patient has a systemic fungal infection. Difficult cases of heart, liver and kidney diseases may be a reason to avoid Prednisone as well.

Proper Doses of Prednisone

As a rule, Prednisone is prescribed for the period of 2-3 months. If there is no improvement within this term, surgery must be performed. At first, patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are advised to take the dose of 30-40 mg a day. In 2-3 weeks, this dosage is to be reduced gradually by 5-10 mg every 4-7 days depending on the patient's condition. Finally, the dose of Prednisone must be 5-10 mg per day. This is the most preferable to endure the effect achieved.

When it’s time to cancel Prednisone, some systematic dose reduction must be provided by a doctor. It is connected with the risk of withdrawal syndrome and worsening of the disease after cancelling this corticosteroid or any other medicine alike.